Trusted Referrals are The Most Powerful Marketing Tool, Period. So Why Aren’t You Tracking and Leveraging Them?

Great networkers know which of their contacts are sending them great referrals, and they cultivate those connections to grow their businesses. Some companies use robust online referral systems like Ambassador to reward partners who refer new customers over the Internet and through their websites. That kind of focused effort can be a good online business booster, but it doesn’t apply to people who are offline and simply talking to other people – either on the phone, in an email or face-to-face – when making an actual referral. And as you know, that’s how lots of referrals actually happen.

SavvyCards have a built a referral tracking system that tracks these “word-of-mouth” referrals. When you give your SavvyCard to someone and show them how to forward it to someone else using the “Share” button, you are essentially handing them a referral tracking device. Every time anyone refers you using your SavvyCard, you’ll know who passed the referral, to whom they referred you, when they did it – and even why they shared your information. Armed with this information, you can reach back out to people who referred you to thank and reward them, ensuring they will continue to do so, and you can follow up in real-time with the people they referred you to so you can start building your relationship and increase the chances of converting them into a loyal customer.

Strengthen Your Connections with SavvyCard Analytics

Tracking your SavvyCard referrals is easy. First, log in to your SavvyCard account at SavvyCard.com (look for the “Log In” button to the far right). Then click on “Card Analytics” next to the card you’d like to track.

You’ll see something like this:

At the top, the Card Analytics page shows the total number of times your card has been shared. Then a table shows each individual share, with the name of the person who referred you, and the person who received the card. You’ll also see a “Top 5 Sharers” list, showing you how many times your card has been shared by each referrer in the last 30 days. This is a great way to quickly see who’s doing the most to get the word out about you.

Turn Referrals into Business

SavvyCard doesn’t automatically generate referrals – like any tool, you have to know how to use it. Here’s a simple but effective strategy.

1. Give all of your contacts your SavvyCard. Start with your most trusted supporters and loyal customers.

2. Teach them how to share it. Show them how simple it is to send your SavvyCard to other people via email, text and even by QR code reader. Explain that they can show other people how to share it, too.

3. Reward your referrers. First and foremost, be generous with referrals yourself. But you can also give them a more substantive reward – a discount, a bonus, compensation, or a free product: “I pay 10% back on the business that people refer to me.”

4. Show your generosity. Everywhere. A referral reward system only works when people know about it, right? Use your blog, email newsletter, and print literature to tell everyone that you want their referrals – and that you’ll reward them.

Savvycard’s referral tracking makes it a completely unique meeting point between the digital world and the power of meaningful, trusted referrals. Get out there and make the most of it!

Need a SavvyCard account? They’re free for general business users – http://www.savvycard.com.